Bar painter



J.. NAMET 2,226,633

BAR PAINT ER Filed Sept. 2, 1957 kry wl INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAR PAINTER tion of Chio Application September 2, 1937, Serial No. 162,226

15 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for painting bars for greenhouses or the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a device for applying paint to the bars or rafters of greenhouses.

Another object is to provide a device for spreading paint upon greenhouse bars and the like at a distance from the bar being painted.

Another object is to provide a device for applying paint to a greenhouse bar and spreading it evenly upon the portion of the bar extending above the glass.

Another object is to provide a device for applying paint to a greenhouse bar, which is simple to manipulate and eiiicient in operation.

Another object is to provide a greenhouse bar painter which applies the proper amount of paint to the bar, and which properly spreads the paint upon the portion of the bar being painted.

Another object is to provide a greenhouse bar painter which does notl smear or spread the paint upon other portions of the greenhouse.

Another object is to provide a greenhouse bar painter having only the brush contacting the bar being painted.

Another object is to provide a carrier for a greenhouse bar painter which supports the painter without obstructing its operation, and without contacting the paint applied to the bar.

Another object is to provide a brush for a greenhouse bar painter which is adjustable to difierent conditions of operation.

Another object is to provide a valve control for a greenhouse bar painter to adjustably control the amount of paint applied to the bar.

A further object is to provide a greenhouse bar painter adapted to ride upon a greenhouse in cooperative relationship to the bar being painted Without contacting the portion of the bar being painted.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in combination with the accompanying drawing in which, like reference characters designate like parts of my invention, and in which:

Figure l is a side View of my greenhouse bar painter shown in operating position on a greenhouse. I

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken lengthwise of my device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1 taken through the line 3--3, the view taken through the line 2--2 of 65 Figure 3 being that shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan View looking down upon Vmy device with the cover and plug member removed, and is a View in the direction of the arrows 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view of the brush of my device before assembling.

In reference to Figure 1 I show the casing or container member ID riding upon the pane of glass 14, which pane of glass "I4 is supported upon a greenhouse bar 12. As seen in Figure 3, the greenhouse bar 'Il has two lateral sides 12 upon which the glass 14 rests and is supported.

The greenhouse bar 1| has an upper part 'i3 which extends up between the panes of glass T4 and putty or caulking material 'I6 is placed along the joints thereof.

In the maintenance of greenhouses it is necessary that the greenhouse bars be kept painted, and it is well known to those acquainted with the maintenance of greenhouses that the application of paint or similar preservatives to the top of the greenhouse bars, that is the portion of the bars above the glass, is diieult. It has heretofore been the usual system to construct scaffolding over the greenhouse and to apply the paint by hand to the upper portion of the bars. My device applies paint to the greenhouse bar from a position at a distance from the bars being painted. The operator may stand along the eaves of the greenhouse and run my device up and down the roof of the greenhouse and apply the paint or other preservative to the upper portion of the greenhouse bars in such a way that the paint is evenly spread upon the bar and is not smeared or spread upon the glass. As is seen, only the brush bristles Contact the upper portion of the bar being painted, and so the bar is not smeared or scraped by my device in its traveling up and down the greenhouse roof.

The casing I0 is substantially arcuate in cross section as is seen in the View of Figure 4, and the inner walls of the casing l0 at its lower portion extend inwardly toward each other. 'I'here is an opening I7 disposed in the lowermost portion of the casing or container member i0 and the sloping inner Walls I9 slopingly extend to the opening Il. Along the longitudinal sides of the opening Il the Walls of the container member I0 overhang so .as to present the overhanging sides I8. It is seen that the opening il therefore appears to have its edge slotted along the longitudinal dimension of the container member IIJ. There is an inside rib l5 extending from the inner wall of the container member l0 and disposed vertically therein. A similar lel to each other and extend from the other end of the container member I3. A pair of wheels 30 and E2 are mounted upon the axle 53 which is secured to the legs I2 and M. The wheels 63 and 62 are jointed together by a portion SI. The pair of wheels Ell and 62 and the portion 6I are constructed as an integral piece so that the pair of wheels and 62 roll upon the axle 66 together. The wheel 63 and the wheel 35, connected together by the portion 34, are mounted to rotate upon the axle 58 mounted between the legs II and I3. Washers 33 and cotter pins 'Ill properly secure the axle E3 to the legs II and I3. Similar cotter pins l) and washers 39 secure the axle 66 to the legs I2 and I4 at the other end of the container member. Metal bushings 58 and 59 in the wheel assemblies act as bearings for the respective axles.

Both pairs of wheels are similarly joined together by a portion integral with the wheels, wheels 63 and 32 being joined integrally together by the portion 6I, and wheels 63 and 65 being joined together integrally by the por-tion 34. In practice it is preferred to have the Wheel assemblies made of rubber which is partially soft, the rubber being hard enough to properly support my device and to permit the wheels to freely rotate, and yet being just soft enough to absorb any shock which might result from the wheels moving from one pane oi glass to anothervpane of glass upon the greenhouse roof. Wheels made of rubber or similar material having this characteristic also provide for better traction upon the greenhouse so that my device freely rolls upon the wheels and does not tend to slide along the top of the glass. A much better operating result is obtained by using wheel assemblies of this semi-soit rubber or similar composition as jarring is largely eliminated thereby, and better rolling of my device up and down the greenhouse is assured. The wheels are free to rotate upon their respective axles mounted to the extending legs of the casing member as my device is moved along the roof of the greenhouse.

It is to be noted that the wheels do not ride upon the greenhouse bar, but rather ride upon the glass adjacent to the greenhouse bar being painted. Each pair of wheels straddles the bar being painted but does not contact it, the portions 6! and ll which join together the wheels of the respective pairs of wheels being high enough so as to not touch the top of the bar. In this way the wheels do not come in contact with the paint applied upon the bar and there is no smearing or spreading of the paint by the wheel assemblies. The inner edge portions of the Wheels 60, 32, 33 and 55 are beveled which aids in properly centering my device in respect to the greenhouse bar when my device is being placed for painting the next bar to be painted.

A top cover 20 is secured to the top of the casing or contain-er member III by means of the screws 23, and protects the contents of the container member from foreign substance. An angle member 2l is secured to the top of the cover 2D by means of the screws 21./ This angle member 2| has four sides, one side of which engages the top of the top cover 23. Between two of the sides the handle 22 is pivotally mounted by means of the bolt 23 extending through the sides of the angle member 2l and through the handle 22. A butterfly nut 2li secures the bolt 23 in position and permits ready assembly oi the handle 22 to the angle member 2I. The length of the handle 22 is dependent upon the operating conditions and the size of the greenhouse roof, and is long enough so that a man standing at the eave of the greenhouse may push my device up to the peak or top of the greenhouse roof. When my device has been pushed approximately to the uppermost limit of the roof, that is to the peak, the foreward wheel assemblies no longer contact the greenhouse roof. In order to paint clear to the edge of the greenhouse it is necessary to push the device out with the forward wheel assemblies suspended in the air. This may readily be done by pressing down upon the handle 22 so that its side contacts the point 25 at the edge of the top cover 2D. In this way point 25 acts as a fulcrum point and the handle 22 acts as a lever so that the entire weight of my device may be carried by the rearward wheel assemblies still riding upon the greenhouse roof'.

There is an opening 29 provided in the top of the top cover 23 for the purpose of filling the container member IE with additional paint or other preservative, and this filler opening 29 is closed by means of the filler cap 28.

A threaded opening 30 is provided in the cover 20 and is located centrally therein. A hollow bolt 32 having threads upon both its inner and outer surfaces is threadably engaged in the opening 30 so that the threads upon its outer surface are threaded in the threaded opening 30. The hollow bolt 32 has a head 33 which provides for turning of the bolt 32 by hand. A jam nut 3| is threaded upon the hollow bolt 32 and acts to lock the bolt 32 in position when turned down against the top `of the cover 23. The hollow bolt 32 is operated by turning the head 33 until in the position desired, and is then secured by turning down the jam nut 3i as shown in Figure 2.

An inner bolt 34 is threadably engaged within the threaded opening extending through the hollow bolt 32, and is longer than bolt 32 so as to extend on both ends thereof. Bolt 34 has a head 35 which is provided for rotating the bolt 34. It is therefore seen that bolts 32 and 34 may be operated so as to raise and lower each of them in respect to the container member I0.

A brush member is mounted internally of the container member It and is supported by the bolt 32 carried on the cover of the container member. The brush member is assembled before being inserted in position within the container member. Brush bristles 43 having their ends stitched or otherwise secured and shellacked are formed about a brush frame 38, which brush frame is arcuate or substantially eliptical in shape. The brush frame 38 has ears 39 at its ends, and bolt holes 4I extending through the ears 39. There are side ears 40 through which bolt holes 42 extend. The brush britles are not rmly fastened to the brush frame 33 and must be firmly clamped in order to properly secure them. A brush frame MI having the same general contour as the brush frame 33 is positioned to t within the brush frame 38 and to clamp the ends of the bristles therebetween. The brush frame 44 has sloping walls I5 which act as a Wedge tightly clamping the ends of the bristles between the outer brush frame 38 and the inner brush frame 4. There are laterally extended portions d6 at the ends of the brush frames 44. Screw bolts 4T threadably engage in openings extending through the laterally extending portions 46 of brush frame 54 and the end ears 39 of the brush frame 38. As the bolts 4l' are drawn down by threadably turning them the two brush frames 44 and 33 are drawn tightly together and the sloping walls 35 tightly wedge the ends of the bristles so that the bristles 43 are rmly secured to the brush frames 38 and 44. As seen in Figure 4 there are four bolts il extending through the mating brush frames. Notches 4B are provided at the opposite ends of the brush frames and these notches 48 accommodate the ribs I5 and I5 of the casing member Hl. It is therefore seen in the views of Figure 2 and Figure 4 that the ribs I5 and l5 act as a vertical guide for up and down movement of the brush frames which together with the brush bristles constitute a brush member. The brush member may therefore be moved up and down within the casing or container member but is held against rotative movement thereby by the guide action of the ribs l5 and l5 within the notches 43. A cross piece 50 is mounted across the brush frame at its narrowest point as illustrated in Figure 4. The cross piece 50 is `bolted by means of the bolts 5| through openings .downwardly therefrom. The bearing member 52 has the hollow bolt 32 secured thereto but permits rotation of the hollow bolt 32 within `the bearing member 52, The end of the hollow bolt 32 is flanged over to form the flanged end 53. A washer 5ft is mounted on the upper surface of the bearing 52 and is positioned between the threads of the hollow bolt 32 and the bearing 52.

The mounting of the hollow bolt 32, the flanged end 53 and the washer 54 is such that thev bolt 32 is free to rotate within the bearing 52 and such that upward and downward movement of the bolt 32 carries the bearing 52 up and down with A plug or block member 55 is positioned centrally of the brush member and within the opening between the sides of brush bristles 43. The plug or block member 55 is substantially elliptical in shape so as to conform generally with the inner Walls of the container member I0. An opening 56 extends through the plug member 55 and the end of the inner bolt 34 is inserted therein. A head 51 formed on the end of the bolt 34 engages a shoulder formed within the opening 55 to prevent the bolt 34 from being drawn entirely through the opening 55. The bolt 34 tightly fits within the opening in the plug member 55, and by reason of the tight t and the engagement of the head 51 within the opening 55 the plug member 55 moves up and down with movement of the bolt 34. The bolt 34, however, rotates within the opening 55 so that the plug member 55 moves up and down by the turning of the bolt 34 but does not turn therewith. The weight of thepaint or other preservative within the container member I0 upon the top of the plug member 55 also aids in holding the block member 55 down but which is overcome by turning the bolt 34 to raise the block member 55. It is -seen that rotation of the bolt 34 by turning the head 35 therefore raises and lowers the block member 55 toward and away from the opening I1 in the bottom of the container member IB. Lowering of the block member 55 presses against the brush bristles 43 and presses them against the inner sloping walls i9 of the container member i0. Raising the block member 55 releases the pressure against the brush bristles 43. Therefore, the block member 55 and its operation by the bolt 35 acts as a valve for controlling they iiow of paint through the opening Il of the container member ID. The block member 55 also acts to keep the brush bristles 43 in proper position and spread out against the inner walls l5.

lin the use of my device paint or other preservative is `rst poured within the container member Hl by removing the cap 28 and lling through the opening 29, after which the cap 28 is replaced. The relative height of the brush member is adjusted by turning the head 33, which raises and lowers they position of the bristles 43 within the container member I5, and which adjusts the length of bristles which are to extend through the opening I1. Greenhouse bars of various depths and thicknesses require different adjustments so that the proper length of bristles may extend thru the opening Il to properly spread the paint upon the upper portion of the bar being painted. The proper spreading of the bristles against the inner walls of the container member is aided by the positioning of the plug or block member 55.` The flow of paint which is to `be permitted to flow through the opening l1 and to run down the bristles i3 is determined by the proper positioning of the block member 55. For a small feed of paint the block member 55 is lowered within the container member I0, and for a larger feed the block member 55 is raised within the container member ID. The proper positioning of the block member 55 in the predetermined position is accomplished by turning the head 35 of the bolt 34.

After iilling'up my device With paint and properly adjusting the position of the brush member and the block member my device is ready for the painting operation. The handle 22 is lifted by the operator to place my device on the greenhouse roof with the pairs of wheels straddling the bar to be painted. The device is then pushed along adjacent to the bar being painted and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The sloping inner walls i5, and the overhanging sides I8 press the bristles i5-3 inwardly so that the bristles contact all parts of the upper portion of the bar being painted. The overhanging sides I8 keep the bristles from spreading and hold them in a good painting contact with the bar being painted so that the bristles do not spread out to put paint upon the glass, and so that the vertical sides of the upper portion of the bar above the glass are properly contacted by the bristles in applying paint thereto. As my device is pushed along the paint is applied to the bar extending above the ss the bristles properly spread on the p When. the device reaches the upper limit of the greenhouse roof the handle may be pressed to contact the fulcrum point 25 so that the device may be supported upon the rearward set of wheels while the device is pushed forward to paint to the `farthest edge of the greenhouse roof.

In the construction of some greenhouse roofs the panes of glass overlap in shingle fashion so that the edge of a pane of glass overlaps the pane of glass lll. There is a slight drop from one pane of glass to the other in such a construction. However, my device has the pairs of wheel assemblies spread a sufficient distance apart so that this drop is negligible insofar as the operation of the brush upon the bar is concerned. Also, the elasticity of the semi-soft rubber Wheels is such `that'there is practically no jar from the drop from one pane of glass to the other, the rubber Wheels absorbing the dropping movement. Good traction is provided upon the surface of the glass by reason of the character of the rubber wheels which have a good grip on the glass surface and, therefore, my device freely rides upon the rotating wheel assemblies. It is noted that no part of my device other than the bristles contact the bar being painted and, therefore, a perfect painting operation is effected. There is nothing to smear the paint upon the bar as the bristles spread the paint evenly and no other portion of our device contacts the spread paint.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of partcularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for applying paint to the glass supporting bar of a greenhouse, comprising, in combination, a container member for storing said paint, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof, said opening being adapted to permit paint to flow therethrough, the walls of said container member being disposed in a slope toward said opening, a brush member mounted within said container member and adapted to extend through said opening, said brush member having converging side portions disposed around the periphery of said container member at said opening, the said brush member having an open space extending therethrough, a block member disposed within said open space and adapted to be moved toward and away from the said converging side portions of the brush member at said opening and to act as a valve therewith for the control of the flow of said paint, adjustable means carried by the container member for adjustably fixing the position of said block member relative to said opening, adjustable means carried by the container member for adjustably fixing the position of the brush member relative to said opening, means for moving the container member along the greenhouse in cooperative relationship to said bar, and means for supporting the container member on the greenhouse.

2. A device for painting greenhouse bars comprising, in combination, a container member for storing paint, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof, a brush mem ber disposed within said container member and adapted to extend through said opening, the said brush member being disposed around the periphery of the container member at said opening and forming a hollow space, a block member disposed within said container member and adapted to engage said brush member within said hollow space, adjustable means for moving the block member toward and away from the inner walls of the container member to control the flow of paint through said opening, means for mounting the brush member to said container member, and

means for moving the container member on said greenhouse in cooperative relationship to said bar to apply paint to the said bar.

3. The combination of a container member for containing a supply of paint to be applied to a greenhouse bar, said container member having an opening in the lower portion thereof and having walls extending inwardly toward said opening, a brush member carried by the container member and having a portion adapted to extend through said opening, to contact a greenhouse bar adjacent said opening, said brush member being arranged around the periphery of the said walls at said opening and being constrained by said walls to taper inwardly toward said bar, and means for moving the container member on said greenhouse adjacent to said bar for applying paint to said bar.

4. A device for applying paint or the like to a surface to be painted, comprising, in combination, a container member for storing said paint, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof, a brush member carried by, and positioned within, said container member and forming a hollow space, said brush member being adapted to extend through said opening and to conduct paint to said surface, a control member carried by the container member within said hollow space and adapted to press the brush member against said container member to limit the amount of paint conducted by said brush member, and adjustable means for operating said control member to adjustably vary the flow of paint conducted by the brush member through said opening and wheel means for moving the container on the greenhouse.

5. A device for applying paint or the like to a surface to be painted, comprising, in combination, a container member for storing said paint, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof, a brush member mounted within said container member, said brush member being disposed around an open space and being adapted to contact the periphery of the container member at said opening, a portion of the brush member being extended through said opening, a control member carried by the container member and `positioned within said open space of the brush member and intermediate the walls of said container member, and adjustable means for varying r bar, the said container member having converging inner walls extended to said opening, a brush member having an open space extending therein mounted internally of said container member and adapted to extend through said opening to contact said bar, the said brush member being disposed adjacent said inner walls at said opening and being constrained by said inner walls to com verge inwardly toward said bar, adjustable means carried by said container member for adjusting the position of said brush member relative to said opening, valve means carried by said container member for adjusting the amount of paint permitted to flow through said opening, supporting means for supporting the container member on said greenhouse during the painting operation, and means for moving the container member upon the greenhouse to apply saidpaint to said bar. i f

7. In .a greenhouse bar painter having a container member` for supplying paint to a brush member adapted to contact said bar, of a brush member positioned in the container member and having bristles disposed around an open space, a block member positioned in the container member and disposed. within said open space, adjustable means carried by the container member for supporting the said brush member and said block member, said adjustable means being adapted to vary the relative position of one of the brush members and block member in respect to the other member, so that the flow of paint to the portion of the brush member adapted to contact the said bar is controlled.

8. In a greenhouse bar painter having a container member for supplying paint to a brush member adapted to contact said bar, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof and having inner walls extending to said opening, of a brush member having bristles disposed around an open space, said brush member being adapted to extend through the opening of said container member, a block member disposed within the open space of the said brush member and adapted to engage said bristles, means carried by the container member for supporting the brush member and the block member, and adjustable means carried by the container member for varying the distance between the block member and said inner walls to control the now of paint supplied to the brush member extended through the said opening.

9. A device for painting bars comprising, in combination, a container member for storing a 40 supply of paint, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof for dispensing said paint, a brush member mounted in said container member and having a support portion and a plurality of bristle portions carried by the sup- 45 port portion, said bristle portions being disposed to the side or" an open space at said support portion and being extended downwardly from said support portion and through said opening inv the container member, means for mounting said brush member to said container member, and adjustable means for raising and lowering the brush member relative to said opening to vary the length of bristle portions extending from said opening, the arrangement of the brush member,

l the container member, and said opening being `edge of said opening to converge inwardly, and

means for moving the container member parallel to said bar with said bristle portions engaging said bar, the movement of the container member causing the semi-resilient bristle portions to be ilexed by the said bar relative to the edge of said opening.

' l1. A device for painting barscomprising, in combination, a container member for containing a supply of paint, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof for dispensing said paint, the inner walls of the container member at said opening being tapered, a brush member for brushing said paint mountedwithin said container member and adapted to extend through said opening, said brush member being disposed around an open space and being adapted to engage said tapered walls, the said brush member being bent by said tapered walls to converge inwardly, outside of said opening, and means for adjustably raising and lowering said brush member relative to said opening to adjustably deter-k mine the length of brush member extended from said opening` 12. A device for painting bars comprising, in combination, a container member for containing a supply of paint, said container member having an opening in a lower portion thereof for dispensing said paint, the inner walls of the container member at said opening being tapered, a brush member mounted in said container member for spreading said paint and having resilient bristles extending parallel to each other, the end portions of said bristles being adapted to extend through said opening, said bristles being bent by said tapered walls to cause the said end portions of the bristles to converge toward said bar, and adjustable means for adjustably fixing the length of bristles extending through said opening.

13. A device for applying paint to the glass supporting bar of a greenhouse comprising, in combination, brush means having an end portion for applying paint to the top and exposed sides of said bar, supply means for supplying paint to said brush means, directing means disposed on opposite sides of said brush means for directing the said end portion' of the brush means toward the said bar, support means for supporting said brush means, supply means, and directing means in cooperative relationship to said bar, said support means being extended downwardly a greater distance than the height of, and spaced from the sides of, the bar to be painted for supporting engagement on said greenhouse at a distance from the bar being painted to permit the device to apply paint to said bar without the support means contacting the paint applied to the bar, and means for moving said brush means, supply means, directing means, and said support means, upon the greenhouse in said cooperative relation ship.

14. A device for applying paint to the glass supporting bars of a greenhouse comprising, in combination, converging brush means for applying paint to the top and exposed sides of said bar, a supply member for supplying paint to said brush means and for carrying said brush means, coniining means carried by the supply member and engaging opposite sides of the brush means to flex the brush means toward the said bar, a pair of .wheels mounted on said supply member for supporting the supply member, each of said Wheels being extended downwardly at a distance from the sides of the bar being painted to ride on said greenhouse at opposite sides of, and below the top of, said bar, and means for rolling said supply member on said wheels along the greenhouse in cooperative relationship to said bar to apply paint thereto.

l5. A device for applying paint and the like to of a greenhouse, comprising, in combination, a

positioned at a distance from the sides of, said bar to ride on said glass on opposite sides of said bar to clear said bar during the painting operation, said Wheels being of resilient material to absorb shocks of the device in travel in moving from the plane of one pane of glass to the plane of another pane of glass, and means connected to an upper portion of the container member for moving the device along the greenhouse.

JULIUS NAMET. 

